Guatemala follows United States in opening Jerusalem Embassy

Netanyahu hailed the opening of Guatemala's embassy in Jerusalem as "the beginning of something extraordinary" in the relationship between the two countries.

"You were the second country to recognize Israel", Netanyahu said at the ceremony, referring to its founding in 1948. Placed during the week that Palestinian marks the 70th anniversary of Nakba, the cataclysmic exodus which followed the expulsion of 700,000 Palestinians from their homes, both openings are an attempt to divert the worldwide community's attention.

Israel was criticised internationally for killing unarmed Palestinians. The latter is a major arms supplier to the Central American nation. Guatemala also moved its embassy to Jerusalem today.

Since the 1967 war when Israel occupied East Jerusalem, the worldwide community, as documented in a multitude of United Nations resolutions, supported the establishment of a Palestinian state on the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as the capital.

The embassy move aggravated the conflict between Palestinians and Israel.